Consumer Price Index and Inflation

A report that came out this week, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20100219/us-credit-markets/, stated that the consumer price index rose only 0.2 percent.  This was a smaller increase than expected.  Of course this was after food and energy costs were stripped out.  This always amazes me that the things people rely on are stripped out of the index.  It is my feeling, and I am no economist, that this is very unfair especially as social security increases are based on this as are the pay increases of many folks especially those who work in the public sector such as teachers and municipal and state workers.
I don't know about you folks but the costs of my groceries has gone up and I am just one person.  I can just imagine what it has done to young families with children.  My natural gas from Maine Natural Gas went up by 10% in January and will go up another 12% in December.  I just got a notice from the Portland Water District that they are applying for a rate increase through the Public Utilities Commission.  Time Warner Cable raises their rates whenever they want as they are not controlled by the PUC.  Now I know I can give up cable TV.  Many consider that a luxury but that is my entertainment.  I rarely go out to eat, I don't smoke and drink only 1 glass of wine a day.  The cost of gasoline for the car goes up and down.  The cost of health care keeps going up.  Right here in Maine Anthem/Blue Cross is trying to increase rates by 23%.  How are people to afford these increases when salaries do not keep up.?
It annoys me that these costs are not taken into consideration when Social Security increases are considered. It is disgusting that in this country of wealth and prosperity that we have so many folks going hungry or without medication that could save their lives or without heat to keep them warm.  We are the only industrialized country in the world that does not provide health care for their people. How much of a raise is Congress getting this year. If you have the answer to that question let me know.  Let's try to change some of these things.

Big Disappointments

Sometimes I can't believe our government.  I have been a loyal Democrat for as long as I have been able to vote but I am so disappointed in the actions of Congress, The White House, The Department of Justice and everyone else in government.  I am disgusted by the depth of corruption and greed that permeates government and business.
Here the majority of the people want a public option in the Health Care Reform Bill but very few Senators are listening.  I admire the courage of those Senators who have put their names on a letter to Harry Reid asking that the public option be a part of the bill and be adopted through the reconciliation process.  Where is the presidential leadership on this issue?  The Congress has the best health care available but they would deny their constituents the same opportunity.  How can this be happening?  The lack of concern for the ordinary citizen is unbelievable.
Then today the Department of Justice overrides a two year investigative report on the authorization of torture and claims that the attorneys involved are only guilty of poor judgment.  This is wrong.  Then Dick Cheney admits to being in favor of water boarding which is a war crime but will anything happen to him?  Of course not.  Where is the rule of law and why is it not being applied?  If it was an ordinary citizen they would be in jail!
I could go on and on but it is too trying.  Then the Democrats will wonder why people won't vote in the mid term elections.  One reason is because we are so disappointed that the change we voted for is far from happening and very few elected people are standing up for what is right for the people and the country.  To put it bluntly this country is in a mess and I don't see how we are going to put it right.  How very sad and  depressing.

Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation

In January of 2010 a severe ice storm hit the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.  Electricity and water systems were devastated.  People were without heat and water and food in a very cold time of year.  Did you hear about this????  No, because the media and the politicians do not pay any attention to the plight of our Native Americans.  To my knowledge the only national media comment on this was done by Keith Olbermann on Countdown on MSNBC.  In just over 72 hours his viewers raised over $270,000.00 to support the Sioux as they try to rebuild their water system and get power back.  This money also provided blankets, food and water.
As reported by the tribe, this money arrived before any FEMA money.  There was no information on the website of the Indian Affairs Agency.  One of the colleges in South Dakota advertised "Bring Your Sole to the Game" asking people to bring shoes that could be donated to the tribe.
Now I don't begrudge the money sent to Haiti as that was surely a tragedy but I do resent the fact that our government and we as their brothers and sisters treat the Native Americans as though they are less than equal.  We need to do for them what we have done Hispanics and African Americans.  We keep them on reservations and in poverty.
I have written to Huffington Post to ask where was their coverage of this event.  I have written to President Obama and Senator Olympia Snowe asking why there is not a better response to this situation.  Of course there was no response.  Where is the heart of this nation?  We can send money all over the world but we neglect some of our own.
This is a time when I wish I had the resources and the knowledge to set up a charitable organization to help the downtrodden in our society.  But each of us must take the responsibility to advocate for all of those who have nothing when we have so much.  I have included links to the page where donations can be made to this particular cause and a link to the website of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
http://www.razoo.com/story/Cheyenne-River-Sioux-Tribe-Storm-Relief-Emergency-Assistance
www.sioux.org/English/CRST_2010_Disaster_Relief.php

Are You Sick and Tired of the Lies and Stalling?

I am!  I am so disappointed in our elected leaders.  The Democrats are afraid of their shadow and can't take the steps they need to get business done.  The Republicans just tell lies and say no!  Nothing is getting done in Washington as our elected leaders pander to the bid banks and corporate interests so they will get more money donated to their reelection campaigns.

It has become increasingly evident that they are not there to do the country's business or to serve the people who elected them.  Those who voted no on the stimulus take credit for it in their home districts when stimulus money comes their way.  At least Rachel Maddow had the courage to call Congressman Schock on it on Meet the Press this week.  It is hypocrisy at its worst.

It will take a huge effort to make any changes and I hope anyone who reads this will write to their elected Senators and Congressmen and tell them that they need to be working for us or they will not be elected no matter how much money they get from big corporations.

Let's take our country back and make it work for the people.

Happy New Year!

Well, 2009 is behind us and what a year it was.  It was a year marked by sone of the most hateful politics in a very long time.  It was a year that many folks lost much of their retirements. Employers laid off many from their jobs, states have trouble balancing their budgets and deep cuts in human services and education will certainly plague us for some time to come.   Even though there is no inflation (says the government) prices of food, energy, clothing and utilities went up.  This makes for hardships for families and seniors.  There are few pay increases, no social security increases but the fat cat bankers and Wall Street management are getting even bigger bonuses than before the crash and on our tax dollars!  Health Care Reform basically went no where.  Let's hope something good comes out of the bill that has now gone to conference.

What will 2010 bring?  I am not too optimistic as I don't see the politics changing either on the local or national level.  This morning on Morning Joe I heard  Mike Barnicle say something to the effect of the people are crying out to Congress hear our voices but Congress is not listening.  He is so right!  People are trying to tell elected officials what they want and need but the powers that be, both on the local and national level are not listening.  Instead they continue to listen to lobbyists, special interests and big corporations who are paying big bucks to get them to listen.  I don't see that changing in 2010.
Since this will be an election year we need to elect people who are not afraid to think outside the box!  I have subscribed to the Smart Growth Network, http://www.smartgrowth.org.  According to their website they state their purpose as "helps create national, regional and local coalitions to support intelligent and sustainable growth."
I have also subscribed to Maine Can Do Better (www.mainecandobetter.org) From their website,

  "Like people throughout Maine, the partners of Maine Can Do Better believe in working together for the common good. We know that Maine's prosperity depends on the strength of our public structure -- our laws, our schools and universities, our public health and safety agencies, our roads and bridges, and our natural resources. Maine's core is the machinery that propels our economy, and must be responsibly managed and maintained to ensure the health and vitality of Maine communities, Maine families, and Maine people, now and into the future."

Both of these organizations have a vision for making the state, the country and the world a better place.  I invite you to subscribe to these also and put pressure on candidates to think differently about how things can be accomplished.  We need to hold them accountable.  We can no longer sit back and let government do things to us but we need to make them do things that we want and need.  We need to be more responsible citizens in 2010 than we were in 2009 and before.

In spite of the somewhat pessimistic posting I do wish all of you a Happy, Healthy and Blessed New Year.

Health Care Reform, Global Warming, Jobs, Wall Street, Banks, etc.

 President Obama,

It is time for you to stand up to Joe Lieberman and say Enough is Enough.  How did he get so much power?
Stand up for the American people.  As it stands now the insurance companies are being given a great Christmas present.  People will be mandated to buy insurance from private companies and those companies will still raise havoc with our health care.  Fining people for not buying health insurance isn't fair when they are struggling just to put food on the table.
The Democrats deserve to lose in the next election as they can't do anything even with a President and a majority in both houses.

My disgust is indescribable.
Above is my most recent communication to President Obama.  The Democrats are worthless!  They can't even pass a health care bill that will help millions of families.  Of course the Republicans will stand in the way of anything progressive.  They will also oppose any bill that improves the environment.
They scream about job creation but will oppose any bill that might help put people back to work.  They don't want any consumer protection laws put in place so that Wall Street and the banks have to act with a moral conscience.
All that being said about the Republicans, it absolutely blows my mind that with 60 votes (Oh I forgot!  Joe Lieberman is one of the sixty and he will also oppose everything and still be allowed to keep his chairmanship)
This whole political process needs to be changed so that elected officials follow the will of their constituents.

Health Care Reform and the Senate

I am wondering when the Senate will get busy and pass some legislation.  The House of Representatives has passed 100 bills and they are all waiting for Senate action.  It is time for the Senate to adopt new rules on how they process legislation and they need to abide by a simple majority.
I am hoping that all Republicans and Democrats will support the Republican amendment to the health care bill that requires all Senators and Representatives and their staffs as well as the President, Cabinet members and staffs to use the public option.  Why should they have anything better than the citizens of this country.  As they said if they are in the plan they will make sure it is well run.  What could be better for us? 
Of course there is a catch here.  When Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio attempted to co-sponsor the amendment he called the office of Senator Coburn and he was rebuffed  9 times.  Also Al Franken and Chris Dodd and Sherrod Brown went on the Senate floor and asked for unanimous consent to be added to the amendment and it was agreed to.  I suspect that this amendment is another blocking measure by the Republicans but I hope it passes and is included in the final legislation.  If it isn't we will all know that the Congress looks out for itself first and the hell with the people.
It absolutely blows my mind that they can ignore the wishes of the majority of the public who support a public option.  I thought they were sent there to represent us and not their quest for power and prestige.  They continue to bow to the lobbyists and forget the people who elected them.
Do you realize that the amount of money being spent daily on TV and Radio commercials, both for and against health care reform, could have helped fund reform for all of those folks who have nothing.  I don't know about you but the ads disgust me and I have stopped watching television during the day.  I listen to the weather report and then shut it off until I watch the evening news and even then I often turn that off.
If there is that much money floating around that continuous ads can be run why do we have so many homeless, hungry and poor?  We could easily feed them all and care for their health needs as well.  I laugh when these folks call themselves Christians.  They surely do not worship the same God that I do or follow Jesus, who cared for everyone.  Who are they trying to kid?

So again I invite you to join me and write and call Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe and President Obama and urge them to support the public option.